Johnston ‘Beams’ in on airport operations

Johnston Sweepers, which bowed out of an appearance at the CIWM Torbay show this year, has big plans for the autumn with the expected introduction of new models as activity continues on a wide front, from a healthy market for the group's specialist big sweeper range, Johnston Beam, to expanding business in Eastern Europe


Johnston Sweepers is continuing the renewal of its product range with the launch of its all-new sub-compact sweepers. The machines will be unveiled in the autumn at a major event now in the planning stage.

This announcement was made at a media briefing held on the eve of CIWM Torbay 2004 by Steve Douglas, Johnston Sweepers’ Marketing Director.
He explained that the company’s continuing programme of new model launches was a factor in its decision not to participate in the CIWM Show.

“We are happier creating our own launch environments where we can concentrate on reaching all of our key customers with our own messages rather than having to compete for attention in the less than ideal conditions of CIWM’s seaside arena,” he said.

Johnston Sweepers is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year by expanding new market opportunities and exploiting new market trends, for example the growth of the sub compact sector.

Runway to success

Right at the other end of the market, the UK based manufacturer is finding a growing market for its top of the range specialist sweepers, the Johnston Beam, manufactured in Denmark.

A recent example is at Leeds Bradford International Airport which has taken delivery of a Johnston S7000 Multitask airport sweeper, one of only a handful of such machines in the UK.

The machine was manufactured by Johnston Beam, following Leeds Bradford’s search the specialist for a machine that could perform a wide range of tasks around the airport. Working closely with the airport to determine its particular requirements, Johnston Beam designed and built the multitask sweeper, customising it to the airport’s exact specification.

The result is effectively four machines in one, capable of sweeping the runway at high speed, cleaning the aircraft stands, general airport sweeping and rubber removal.

The machine also features extra wide suction mounted between the axles, which produces a swept width of almost four metres, and an additional water tank providing a capacity of 2,275 litres. A spray jetting system supplies 200 bar at 100 litres a minute for super high pressure wash capability, while rotating angled water jets at the front penetrate the surface to drive out dirt and remove rubber.
Peter Jackson, the airport’s Airside Operations Duty Manager, had been impressed by a similar Johnston Beam machine during a demonstration staged at the airport, and later visited Luton Airport to see its own Johnston Multitask sweeper in action.

“We had been looking for a sweeper which could handle a variety of jobs around the airport, for maximum utilisation and versatility, and the demonstrations proved that the Johnston Beam was more than capable of everything we needed”, he says. “We also liked the idea that we could design the machine to our own specification and, once the decision was made, Johnston Beam worked very closely with us to make sure we got exactly what we needed. The end result is just what we had been looking for – a very versatile sweeper which is easy to operate, and capable of tackling the numerous cleaning jobs that arise around an airport.”

Since delivery, the machine has been in constant use throughout the airport, sweeping runways, car parks, taxiways and aprons, as well as clearing large flooded areas of melt water and clearing drains – proving its Multitask capability.

Kiev adds to Johnston fleet

In the developing markets of Eastern Europe, Johnston Sweepers is also doing well.
The Municipality of Kiev in Ukraine has placed an order for six of Johnston’s latest VT650 road sweepers which will join more than a dozen Johnston machines already in service in the city.

The order has been made possible by a European Union grant to improve the city, which includes the procurement of road cleansing equipment, and follows a successful tender submitted by Johnston Sweepers for the business.

The sweepers are being supplied through Ligo Service, Johnston’s distributor in the Ukraine since 2001. Based in Cherkassy, a hundred miles south of Kiev, Ligo Service will mount the Johnston sweeper skid units on locally supplied MAZ chasses ready for delivery to Kiev in the summer. The city has also ordered a Johnston Compact 40 precinct sweeper.

The latest machines will join a fleet of 14 Johnston sweepers currently in use in Kiev, bringing the total number of Johnston sweepers in service in the large city to 21, including three Compact 40s. All machines are fitted with dual sweep, Wanderhose and Johnston’s Littasnatch system, which has been developed to clear litter from pavements and hedgerows using a lightweight 7 metre flexible hose.
As with the previous orders, Johnston Sweepers will supply full on-site operator training upon delivery of the latest machines.


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